His heart was visible, and the dismal sack that maketh excrement of what is eaten.

Join Date

Mar 2006

Posts

7,345

Posted On:3/31/2011 7:40am

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Originally Posted by creativo

I like how extreme this stuff gets. Drivers get huge trucks and gigantic V8's (although the speed limit is ridiculous), cyclists that mass together to reclaim the streets are ALL hipsters with no jobs... throw in some guns and you have the whole USA picture apparently.

This is exactly why Critical Mass occurs, because a lot of people think that bikes are not vehicles or traffic, you seem to forget that cyclists have a right to use the road system, whereas all other traffic has a privilege based on licensing that can be revoked if the licensee is not responsible enough, because drivers of vehicles are far more capable of causing death and injury than a guy on a bike, regardless of anecdotal evidence of it occurring once in a while.

I don't agree with militant critical mass style cycling events for what its worth, but, while there are a large proportion of people that view cyclists as not belonging on roads, it's going to happen. It's a fucking shitty attitude to see roads as purely being there for motorised transport.

If bikes want the same respect, and rights, as cars they need to follow the same laws as cars.

If there is a red light, I as a motorist have to stop, bikes should, they do not.

If there is an emergency vehicle, I as a motorist have to pull over, bikes should, they do not.

If there is a school bus with it's lights flashing, I as a motorist have to stop, bikes should, they do not.

I have seen a cyclist run into a child who was trying to get on the bus because the cyclist chose to ride up onto the sidewalk to avoid the cars that had stopped for the same school bus.

I bike, I enjoy biking, but I bike off road as much as possible, both for safety, and because I can get places faster off road then on.

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Also, from what I can see of these "protests" they ride in a bunch, they weave from lane to lane without signaling their intent, and generally bike in an unsafe manner. No wonder they get run over.

Last edited by ignatzami; 4/04/2011 2:25pm at .
Reason: Spelling

I do not aspire to be great, or even good, I hope to suck a little less then last class.

I used to wonder why those penny farthing bikes went out of style, because you get to sit up really high and look awesome, then I saw what happens when you fall off one.

The only way to get higher gearing was to get a taller front wheel, so the tallest bikes were for the "manliest" of riders.
A choppy pedal stroke gets you ejected like the above.

While i am all for common sense bicycle advocacy and abohr the massholes it is worth noting that in the US paved roads were originally built for bicycles due to the lobbying efforts of the League of American Wheelmen (LAW).
Bicycles are in fact traffic and have a "right" to be there, physics notwithstanding.
That said while driving i am very careful around cyclists and am even more wary while on a bike.
An ex-gf was hit from behind while doing everything she was supposed to.
Guy was drunk and methed out and hit her square at about 60mph.
Blew her clean out of her shoes, causing multiple spinal fractures among other broken bones and glass lacerations.
She survived but had several surgeries after spending a couple months in icu.
Getting hit by a car is no joke...